It translated into the sound of victory for the University of Victoria Vikes men’s basketball team (5-0) in a thrill-o-matic 72-71 Canada West decision over the CIS nationally seventh-ranked Calgary Dinos (3-2) as Mack Roth sank a free throw with no time remaining on the clock.
The Vikes saw a nine-point lead with five minutes remaining wilt in the face of a furious late push by the Dinos. The Vikes hung tough enough until Mack was fouled in the act of shooting as the final buzzer sounded.
But the sound wasn’t so sweet for the hosts in the women’s game as the Calgary Dinos defeated the UVic Vikes 81-72.
The Vikes and Dinos played a terrifically tight women’s playoff series last spring. They reprised that atmosphere with a regular-season game Friday that had the feel of a playoff game as the Dinos moved to 4-1, while UVic fell to 1-4.
The game was interesting and competitive, which should give the youthful Vikes some optimism.
UVic got off to a strong start and built a 23-10 lead. The Dinos rallied to tie it 30-30 in the second quarter and took a 44-40 into half-time and held a 61-56 advantage after three quarters. The game remained close as Calgary clung to a 63-62 lead in the final quarter before running it to the final margin of victory. Everytime time UVic appeared to have an answer, Calgary found two of them.
“Everytime we came close, they made big plays,” said Vikes coach Dani Sinclair.
“They played tougher than we did. The are a very good team and they outplayed us in key moments. We allowed them to make big runs.”
A three-point play by bulldozing forward Jenna Bugiardini on a hoop and a foul pulled UVic to within 74-72 with 50 seconds remaining. But the Dinos pulled away in money time.
“We have to lock in more effectively on defence and control the ball better,” said Bugiardini, who scored 16 points for UVic along with Amira Giannattasio.
“We’re simply going to have to play better defence.”
Claire Colborne led Calgary with 20 points. Kristie Sheils from Cheshire, England, who played for the Great Britain U-20 team, added 15 points.
The men’s game was a revealing early-season men’s basketball clash that likely will show the rest of the CIS that the undefeated Vikes, given an honourable mention in the national top-10 poll, belong with the elites.
“We still have to earn our stripes,” said Vikes head coach Craig Beaucamp, before the game.
If they keep this up, they will soon be all striped up.
Roth finished with 19 points, including his dramatic winning point, while Grant Sitton added 12 points and Jordan Charles 10.
Six-foot-five Dinos guard Thomas Cooper from Chattanooga, Tennessee, who leads Canada West in scoring with a per-game average of 27.8 points, led all scorers with 22 points in the emotionally draining affair that had the vuvuzelas blaring.
The teams will do it all again today with the women’s game tipping off at 5 p.m., followed by the men at 7.
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